Electric programme-clock



(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 1.

A. J. BEAMS. ELEGTRIG PROGRAMME CLOCK.

No. 367,663. Patented Aug. 2, 18'87.

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4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

A. J. BEAMS.

ELECTRIC PROGRAMME CLOCK.

Patented Aug. 2, 1887.

.dttorney/ v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDRE\V J. BEAMS, AUGUSTA, KANSAS.

ELECTRIC PROGRAM ME-CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 367,663, dated August21887.

Application filed March '7, 1887. Serial No. 230,035. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ANDREW J. REAMS, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Augusta, in the county of Butler and State of Kansas,haveinventedeertain new and useful Improvements in ElectricProgramme-Clocks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exactdescription of the in vention, which will enable othersskilled in the [Q art to which it a-ppertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part ofthis specification, and in which Figure 1 is a front view of my improvedprogrammeclook. Fig. 2is an edge view seen from the side having thecircuitbreaker, the latter being removed. Fig. 3 is a side view seenfrom the other side. Fig. 4 is a front View, with the cylinder and theframe shown in dotted lines. Fig. 5 is a vertical axial sectional view.Fig. 6 is a detail view of the circuit-breaking mechanism and thespring-barrel and its cog-wheels. Fig. 7 is a top view of the shelfhaving the strips, and

'25 Fig. 8 is a perspective detail view of'the spring-barrel and thearm.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

My invention has relation to-that class of clocks which are placed uponan electric circuit and operated by the current from the circuit, whichcurrent is made and broken suitably by a central clock; and,furthermore, it has relation to that class of clocks in which a 5cylinder having plugs inserted removably at given pointsin its peripheryis revolved by the works and may make and break local circuits havingsuitable alarms, and it contemplates certain improvements upon the pro 0gramme-clock for which Letters Patent No. 549,605 were granted to me onthe 21st day of September, 1886, and upon the clock for which I tendingfrom a central clock, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,the 'numcral 1 indicates the main arbor,which is suitably journalcd in thefront and back pieces, 2 and 3, of theframe. The inner portion of this arbor has a small ratchet-wheel, 4:,secured to it, which wheel is engaged by a spring-pawl,

5, pivoted upon the rear side of a cogqvheel,

6, journaled upon the arbor. The inner'end of'a clock-spring, 7, issecured to the shaft, and the outer end of this spring is secured to a.barrel or casing, 8, secured upon the inner side of a cog-wheel, 9,jonrnalcdupon the arbor. A sleeve, 10, projects out from the front ofthe frame, forming'a bearing for the arbor.

The forward cog-wheel upon the main arbor meshes with a'p'inion, 11,upon a shaft, 12, jonrnaled in the frame, and this shaft is provided atits forward end, outside of the front frame, with a pinion, 13, and atits-inner end with a cog-wheel, 14., which again meshes with a pinion,15, upon a shaft, 16, in the frame, which shaft is provided withaeog-wheel, 17, at its forward end and with a disk, 18, at itsmiddle,the said disk having two diametricallyopposite notches, 19, inits periphery. The cogwheel upon the shaft meshes with a pinion, 20,upon ashaft, 21, and this shaft has at its inner end a cog-wheel, 22,which meshes with a pinion, 23, upon a shaft, 21, having a fan, 25,secured upon it.

The cog-wheel 22 is provided upon itsrear face with alaterally-projecting stud, 26,which is engaged by the downwardly-bentend 27 of an arm, 28, projecting from a rock-shaft, 30, having a spring,29, for forcing the arm downward, and the rock-shaft is provided withanother arm, 31, having a laterally-bent end,32, engaging the notches inthe disk, and an arm, 33, having a bent end which rests upon an arm,34-, projecting from a shaft, 35, having a spring for forcing the armdown, and having another arm, 36, formed with an upwardlybent end havingan inclined stop, 37, upon its end. The arm 34- bears against the upperarm of an armature-lever, 38, secured to a rockshaft, 89, and having itsarmature 40 attracted by an electro -magnet, 41, secured in the frame.

An arm, 4c2, projects above the inner ends of the electro-magnets andhas a set-screw,43,

its armature out of the limit of attraction of the magnets.

The sleeve or hub 44- of the cylinder t:' ,liaviug the removable plugs46, is 'journaled upon the bearing-sleeve 10 for the main arbor, andthis sleeve is provided with a ratchet-wheel, 47, upon its inner end,which is engaged by a springpawl, 48, upon the inner face of a cogwheel,49, jourualed upon the sleeve. or bub 4t and meshing with the pinionupon the front side of the front of the frame.

The cog-wheel 6 upon the inner portion of the main arbor meshes withapinion, 50,upon a shaft, 51, having a cog-wheel, 52, which meshes witha pinion, 53, upon a shaft, 51, having a cog-wheel, 55, meshing with apinion, 56, upon the forward face of a ratchetwheel, 57, upon a shaft,58, having a spring, 59, coiled upon it, one end of which springissecured to a balanced lever or arm, (50, while the other end is securedto. a ratehetwhcehtil, upon the inner end of the shaft engaged by apawl, 62.

The lever or balanced arm 60 has a spring pawl, 63, engaging theratchet-wheel, and an arm, (it, is pivoted to the upper end of the armand. to the lower end of an arm or lever, 65, of soft iron, pivoted atits upper end be tween lips 66, secured to the upper end of ancleetro-magnet, 67, secured in the frame. This magnet consists of atube, (38, having collars 69 at its ends and having the coil 70 wrappedaround it between the collars, and the lever (55 is attracted by thecollars when. the tube is magnetized by the circuit in the coil beingclosed and will tilt the spring-pawl 63 and its armbaek, whereupon thespring coiled around the shaft will again force the arm and pawlforward, giving the ratchet-wheel a part revolution, the tension of thespring being adj usted by means of the ratehetwheel and pawl upon therear end of the shaft.

The throw of the armature lever is limited by a set-screw, 71, passingthrough an arm, 72, projecting from the frame, and it will be seen thatthe arm and pawl may be rocked and the ratchet-wheel partly revolvedeach time the lever is attracted by the magnet, the ratchetwheelrevolving the inner cog-wheel upon the main arbor, and. thus revolvingthe shaft or arbor and winding the spring, the cogwheel revolving thearbor by havingthe pawl engaging the ratchet-wheel upon the same.

The shelf 73 below the cylinder is of the same construction as the shelfdescribed in the above-referredto application, having theinsulating-blocks 74 and 75, and having the slitted plate 76 upon theinsulated block 7t pro vided with the binding-post 77; but the otherinsulated block, 75, has a number of rods, 78, corresponding in numberto the number of strips formed in the slitted plate, secured upon theupper side by means of cross strips 79, of an insulating material. Theends of the strips of the slitted plate are provided withoblicpiely-prqiectiug studs or contact-points, S0, and the ends of therods upon theinsnlated block are flattened, as shown at 81, and bentupward and thereupon downward, forming inclined portions 82, havingcontact-strips 83, preferably of platinum, secured with their lower endsto them, the upper ends of the contact-strips projecting out from theinclined portions of the flattened rods.

A switch board, 84-, is seen red below the shelf and has a number ofbinding-posts, 85, at one end, having their inner ends in contact with ametallic backing, 86, upon the inner side of the switchboard, and wires87 are secured to these posts and have suitable electromagnetic alarms,88, upon them, and have their other ends secured to the outer ends ofthe rods in the same manner as the strips have the wires and alarms inthe application above referred to.

The binding-post 77 upon the slitted plate has a wire, 89, attached toit, which wire passes to a contact-point, 99, having the free end of apivoted switch-strip, 9t, registering with it, and the other end of thewire is attaehed to the pivoted end of this switch-strip 9t, and passesto one pole of a battery, 92, which has a wire, 93, attached to itsother pole and passing to a binding-post, 9 L, at the otherend of theswitchboard. A. German-silver shunt-wire, 95, is secured to thisbindingpost, and at its other end to the bindingpost upon the slittedplate, being wrapped around a spool, 96, at its middle; and it will beseen that by having this shunt-wire the current in the wires will beclosed when a coutact-p0int of the slitted plate is broughtinto contactwith one ofthe contact-strips upon the rods, without creating any sparkbetween the contactpoint and strip, thus preventing any oxidation of thelatter parts.

Two insulatirig-blocks, 97, are secured at the side of the main arborand its barrel, and have strips 98 secured upon their outer sides, themeeting ends of these strips being curved slightly outward, and thesecurved ends of the strips are normally in contact with the periphery ofa disk or cylinder, 99, having a metallic segment, I100, inserted intoits pe' riphery, the disk being made of an insulating material. The diskhas a stud, 101, projecting upward from its periphery and normallybearing against the inner end of the upper insulated block. A stud, 102,projects inward from the periphery of the disk diametrically opposite tothe segment, while a stud, 103, projects from the outer face of the diskat the same point as the inwardly-proiccting stud. An arm, 101i, ispivoted above the disk, and has an inwardlyprojceting slightly beveledend, 105, and an inwardly-proiecting shoulder, 10G, beveled upon theupper side-and rectangular at its under side, the said shoulder normallysupporting the laterallyproiecting stud 103 of the disk upon its upperinclined side,

and the arm 101 is provided with a spring, 107, which forces the arminward against the stud upon the outer side of the disk.

An arm, 108, is pivoted at its middleupon the main arbor between thebarrel and the inner cog-wheel, and this arm has one end, 109, enlarged,and formed with a counterpoise, 110, while the other end, 112, is bentto project over the periphery of the spring-barrel, and'has an arm, 111,pivoted upon one side at one end and provided with a spring, 113,forcing the arm toward the face of the barrel.

The inner faces of the two cog-wheels upon the main arbor are providednear their peripheries each with an inwardly-projecting stud, 114 and115, which may respectively engage the edge of the bent portion of thepivoted arm or lever upon the arbor and the free end of the small armpivoted upon the end of the lever, and the side of this smal1arm,whichfaces in the direction of the revolution of the cog-wheels, is beveled,as shown at 116.

The insulated disk or cylinder 99 is provided at-its shaft or pivotalbolt with aspring, 117, preferably a spiral or helical spring,

- which spring is secured to the disk and to the shaft or bolt,returning the disk to its normal position if it is turned upon the shaftor bolt.

Two wires, 118 and 119, are secured to the.

strips upon the insulated blocks, and one of these wires, 118, which issecured to the upper strip, passes over to a switch-plate, 120, securedtoand insulated from the clock-frame and having one wire, 121, securedto it and passing to the pole of the battery connected to the sl ttedstrip, and one wire, 122, passing to the electro-magnet operatingthereleasing mechanism. The other wire, 119,

passes from the lower insulated strip to the electro-magnet operatingthe winding mechanism.

A disk, 123, having a metallic hub, 124, and

having studs 125 projecting from one face near the periphery, isconnected to the works of a main regulating-clock, revolving once in anhour and having twelve studs, P0 that it will move the space of one studevery five minutes. Two strips, 126 and 1.27, bear, respectively,against thehub of the disk and toward the studs upon thesame, and aresecured upon an insulating-block,128,-and these strips have wires 129and 130 attached to them, one wire passing to the electro-magnetoperating the releasing mechanism and the other wire extending to aswitch-plate, 13 1, having a wire, 132, passing to the pole of thebattery conneetedto the lower switch-board.

A disk, 133, is suitably connected to the works of the main clock, andis formed with a hub, 131, and with pins or studs 1S5,Vprojeeting fromits face near the periphery, and an insulated spring or strip, 136, isin contact with the hub, and has awire, 137, extending to thewinding-magnet, while another strip or spring, 138, projects toward thestuds and is secured to an insulating-block, 139, and has a wire, 140,which passes to the switch-plate 131. A Germansilver shunt-wire, 141, isconnected to this switch-plate and to the switchplate upon the frame,and is wound upon a spool, 142, suitably supported.

It will now be seen that when the works of arm, allowing the train ofwheels to revolve,

carrying the cylinder forward one space, so

may depress the strip registering with it and close the alarm-circuitwhen it arrives at the proper point in the same manner as in the formerclocks. The shunt will prevent sparks from being formed between the endsof the indisks of the main clock, preventing oxidation of the points ofthe springs and of the studs or pins.

As the disk 123 of the regulating-clock is pins strike the spring, and,the circuit being closed, the armature-lever will be attracted by theelectro-magnet 67 at the side of the clock, causing the spring-pawlengaging the .ratchet-wheel of the winding mechanism to be moved overthe periphery of the wheel, so that the coiled spring upon the shaft ofthe ratchetwheel will force the pawl and the arm forward, drawing theratchet-wheel with it, when the circuit is again broken and the leverreleased. In this manner the spring 7 will continually be woundautomatically, the cog-wheel 6 upon the inner end of the main arborrevolving in the same direction as the forward cog-wheel, 9, which ismoved by the spring.

The stud 111 upon the face of the inner cogwheel will engage theprojecting end of the arm 10S, pivoted upon the main arbor, andwillcarry it with it as it revolves, and at last the bent end of the arm orlever will be brought to the vside at which the insulating disk 99 isjournaled, when the said end will bear against the in wardly-projectingstud 102 and rotate the disk until the stud 103 is caught by the end ofthe pivoted springarm 101, which will stop the lever and holdit. As thedisk 99 is rotated, the metallic segment in the periphery of the diskwill be turned out of contact with the lower strip, breaking the currentandstopping the winding mechanism. As new the forward cog-wheel, 9, uponthe arbor is revolved, the stud 115 upon the inner face of thiscog-wheel will reach the end 112 of the lever 108 and force it downward,throwing the pivoted spring-arm 104 sufficiently far out to allow theforwardly-projecting stud 103 to slip upward by the shoulder 106 uponthe spring-arm, the spring 117 upon the disk 99 and shaft throwing thedisk back into its nor mal position, closing the circuit again. In

the main clock revolve, the disk 123, having that a plug in theperiphery of the cylinder 15 7 sulatcd strips or springs and the pinsupon the 'revolved, it will close the circuit when the this manner,overwinding of the spring 7 will, be prevented, and at the same time theclock may continue to go without the necessity of winding it, it beingonly necessary to wind the clock once, when the electric windingmechanism will keep the clock wound, the number of pins or studs uponthe disk and theuumber of its revolutions in a certainspace of timebeingregulated so as to wind thespringas much as itwill be unwound byoperating the train.

It will be seen that, it desired, a number of these clocks may beoperated by one main regulator-clock, and thatauy numberof alarms maybeoperated from one of the clocks, so,

that the clock may be useful in schools, hotels, or other places whereit is desired to have an alarm sounded at a certain hour, only one ofthe alarmoperating clocks being necessary in each building, while onemain clock or regulator may operate the clocks in a number of buildings.the battery oil to one side, the local circuit may be broken, so thatbatterypower may be saved when the clock is not to be used. By havingthe wires from the battery passing to the switchstrips the same batterymay be used for the releasing and for the winding mechanism, and byhaving two sets of wires passing from the batteries the same batteriesmay be used for the main-line circuit operating the releasing andwinding mechanisms, as well as for the local circuits having the alarmbells upon them. 7

Having thus dcscrilmd my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States-- 1. In aprogramme-clock, thecombination of aelock having a cylinder upon the main arbor of itstrain, provided with series 01' removable and iusertible plugs, andhaving an electroinagnet operating the releasing and stopping mechanismof the clock, electrodes of a nunr ber ot'small local circuits'broughtinto contactby the plugs upon the cylinder, and amain clock having adisk revolved by it aml pro vided with a hub and laterally projectingstuds, and having two springs secured upon an insulating-block. .andbearing against the hub and toward the studs upon the disk, and havingwire connections to the electro-magnet in the local clock, as and forthe purpose shown and set forth.

2. In a programme-clock,the combination of a clock having acylinderi 11its works operating a number of local alarm-circuits, and having anelectro-maguet for releasing and stopping the works, and having anelectro-maguet op erating the mechanism for winding the spring, with amain or regulator clock having means for at re ular intervals closingthe circuit for the releasingmagnet and for at regular intervals closiug the circuit for the windi ng-magnct, as and for the purpose shown andset forth.

3. In a progranuneclock,the combination of a clock-work havingacylinderin its works operating a number of local alarm-circuits, andhaving an clectro'magnet operating the mech- Jy turning the switch-stri'i near anism releasing and stopping the works, and having anelectro-maguct operating the mechanism for winding the spring,switch-plates having each a wire from the poles 0ta battery secured tothem, disks connected to and revolved by a main clock, and having each apixijecting hub and laterally-projecting studs near their periphery, twoinsulated springs, respectively, in contact with the hub of a disk andprojecting to the studs ot' the same, and having a wire attached to therelcasing'magnet and to one switch-plate, two insulated springs,respectively, in contact with thehub of the other disk and projecti ngto the studsot' the same, and having wires attached to their ends and tothe winding-magnet aml to the switch plate, having the wire from theregisteringspring of the other disk attached to it, and wiresrespectively passing from the releasingmagnet and wiriding-magnet andsecured to the other switclrplatc, as and for the purpose shown and setforth.

4t. .ln aprogrannne clock, the combination of a revolving cylinderhaving insertiblc and removable plugs in series of equidistant socketsin its periphery, alongitudinally-slitted plate at the united ends of anumber of normally- I open, circuits, having the ends of its strips bentupward and provided with obliquely-projeetiug studs or contact-pointsupon the under sides,'and strips at the other ends of the circuits andformed with downward]y-inclined ends provided with contact-springssecured to the ends of the inclined portions, and having the upper endsprojecting upward from the said. portions registering with the pointsupon the other strips, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

5. Inapro'gramme clock, the combination of a revolving cylimlcr havinginsertible and removable plugs in series of equit'listant sockets in itsperiphery, a lougitudinz'tllyslitted plate at the united ends of anumber of normally open circuits, having the ends of its slits bentobliquely upward and provided upon their under sides with obliquecontact-points, and. a number of rods at the ends of the circuits,clamped between insulating blocks and strips and having their inner endsflattened and bent in a V shape, and provided upon the upper inclined(aces ot' the outer inclined portions with. contact-springs secured attheir lower ends, and having their free ends projecting out from thefaces registering with the contactpoints, as and for the purpose shownand set forth.

(i. In a 'nogramme clock,thecombiuatiou of a main arbor having the endof a spring secured to it and having a cogwheel secured upon it, areducing train of cog-wheels and pinions, a ratchetwheel having a pinionupon its shalt meshing with the reducing train, a lever pivotet'l uponthe shaft of the ratehet-wheel and. having a counterbalanced arm and 'aspring-pawl upon the other arm engaging the ratchet-whcel, a springwrapped around the shaft of the ratchet-wheel and se cured at one end tothe lever and at the other end to a ratchet-wheel, revolving upon theshaft and having a pawl engaging it, and an electro-magnet having itsarmature-lever connected byan arm to the arm having the springpawl, asand for the purpose shown and set forth,

7. In a p rogrammeeloclgthe combination of a main arbor having the endof aspiral spring secured to it, and having a cog-wheel upon it providedwith a spring pawl engaging a ratchet-wheel upon the arbor, areducing-train meshing with the cog-wheel and having a ratchet-wheel atits other end, a lever having a spring-pawl engaging the ratchet-wheeland having means for throwing it forward, and an electromagnet havingears at its upper end and having its armature-lever pivoted at its upperend betweenthe ears and having a con necting-arm from its lower end tothe lever having the pawl, as and for the purpose shown and set forth. p

8. In a program me-clock, the combination of a main arbor having theinner end of a clockspring secured to it, aspringbarrel having the outerend of the spring attached to it, and having the main wheel of theclock-works secured to one side and provided with an in wardlyprojectingstud upon its inner face near the periphery, a winding cog-wheel uponthe arbor having an inwardly-projecting stud upon its face near theperiphery, an electromagnet having a suitable mechanism for making andbreaking the current in its coil and having means attached to itsarmature for re volving the winding-wheel, a lever pivoted at its middleupon the arbor,and having a counterpoise at one arm and having the endof the other arm bent over the periphery of the spring-barrel, andprovided with an arm pivoted with one end upon the face of the bentportion and provided with a spring holding it parallel with the face ofthe barrel, two strips secured upon insulated blocks and having thewires of the electro-magnet secured to it and having their meeting endsprojecting near to each other, a disk or cylinder of nonconduetingmaterial having a metallic segment in its periphery bearing against theends of the strips, and having a spring at its axis for revolving itinto its normal position,aud provided with an upwardly-projectingstop-pin and with a stud projecting at a point diametrically opposite tothe segment and a pin projecting from the face at thesame point, and anarm having its lower end bent inward toward the spring'barrel and havinga shoulder upon its inner edge beveled upon the upper side and engagingthe pin upon the face of the disk and having a spring forcing it inward,as and for the purpose shown and setforth.

9. In a programme eloek,the combination of a shelf havi ngalongitudinallyslitted plate and a number. of rods, and having means forbringing the ends of the strips of the slitted plate in contact with theends of the rods, a switchplate having a binding-post provided with awire passing to one pole of a battery,and having a number ofbinding-posts at the other end having wires attached to them providedwith suit-able electromagnetic alarms and attached to the ends of therods, a wire passing from the other pole of the battery to the slittedplate, and a shunt-wire passing from thebindingpost of the switch-plateto the slitted plate, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

10. In a programme eloek,the combination of a switch-plate having wireconnection to one pole of a battery, two circuit making and.

my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

ANDREXV J. BEAMS.

-Witnessesi W. J. SPEER, WV. 0. WVELoEL

